


Two Halves Make A Whole

by Uno_reverse_card



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Atem Knows Nothing About the Real World, Dreams, Falling In Love, Half a Chapter is Italics, He's Ok, I suck at tagging, I'll Try And Find A Suitable Bad Guy But Ya'll I'm Not Sure, Japanese Terms (but i'm not Japanese so bear with me), M/M, Magic, Millenium Puzzle, Romance, Sinking Sand, Slow To Update, Sugoroku thinks Atem is Some Kind of Gaurdian Angel, The Pharaoh is Five Thousand Years Old and Has a Body of His Own, Why do I Feel the Need to Do This?, Yuugi Almost Dies, does this count as an AU?, protective atem, trip to egypt, um. ok, wait. that's a tag?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-24 17:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22381624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uno_reverse_card/pseuds/Uno_reverse_card
Summary: I can't do this. Here we go.Yuugi goes to Egypt with his grandpa on an archeological dig to discover the lost pharaoh that disappeared 5,000 years ago. It was written in a few texts that he was the kindest ruler Egypt had ever seen and the people adored him. But he died early protecting his people from the dark magic of the Shadow Realm and its monsters, which had been set free to rain chaos upon the world. Now, Yuugi feels a strange pull from the mysterious puzzle hanging around his neck. He follows the strange feeling and-! Read the story, I can't give you everything! But this is me just trying to push these two together.*Note* I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've written yaoi, so if it's a little confusing in places, tell me, pls.
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi
Comments: 46
Kudos: 38





	1. You don't get airsick?

**Author's Note:**

> Um, hi! You're actually here! Wow, um, s-speech? Kidding, thank you for reading this! I'm sorry if the summary was going strong at first and then I just killed it. I've never had to write a summary and NOT give away too many details at the same time. Anyway, I'm aware that this fandom is... dated. (Old?) Hell, the anime came out before I was even born! I also wanted to add that this doesn't follow the show or manga.  
> I haven't read the entire manga YET, nor have I finished the anime YET, but I have read plenty of things and have a general idea of what happens and an even rougher idea of characters and their names.  
> SO. That being said, I kinda just made my own, uh, thing, and you might recognize details from both manga and anime, as I have basically mashed the two together.
> 
> If you read all that, thank you. I appreciate you. Also, before I forget, Disclaimer! I don't own Yugioh, the characters, the plot, anything! Except for a few side characters that are too unimportant to mention.  
> I want your comments and criticism, please! And be specific too, I can't improve if you don't provide examples! Thank you, Enjoy~!

Yugi stared out the small oval window to his right, watching the fluffy clouds seemingly drift slowly by. In reality, he was probably going about 740-930 kph or something. No one bothered to tell him the average speed of the plane he was on. Of course, it wasn’t need-to-know information in the first place, he doubted he’d die if he didn’t know in particular how fast he was going. 

A loud snort interrupted his thoughts, and by the looks of it, his grandfather’s restful slumber. His grandpa’s head lifted up and he blinked blearily around him, no doubt trying to remember where he was. Yugi smiled. “How did you sleep Ji-chan?” he asked. The older man swiveled his head in Yugi’s direction, smiling at the boy’s question. “Fine. These seats are comfier than I expected them to be.” Yugi chuckled, pleased that they’d had a relatively ok flight. 

The flight attendant’s voice came over the loudspeakers, informing the passengers that the plane was due to land in a few minutes and that they could expect a little turbulence during their decent. Yugi was honestly surprised that they hadn’t hit it yet, or that it had been relatively smooth sailing since they left Domino airport. During the 14 hour flight, the guy behind Yugi kept throwing up until the flight attendant was able to get him to keep down a few sedatives. Then, about halfway through the flight, the couple in front of them were unable to keep their baby quiet. They tried everything, but it wasn’t until Yugi popped his head up over the seats to investigate that the baby began to calm down. That’s what started the five minute round of peek-a-boo with a stranger’s child. The mother apologized to him (and everyone around them) profusely. The father offered him a couple hundred yen as a token of his appreciation. But the teen refused it saying that they might need it more than he did. Other than that, the flight was calm. He had brought a few of his more challenging games and puzzles with him, plus his music to entertain him. Even if it was over half a day, he found that it was easy to pass the time. 

The plane began to shudder, as if in disgust, before giving a jerk. Yugi just barely kept his face from smashing into the window he’d gone back to staring out of. His grandpa grumbled, assuring the man next to him that it was quite alright. The man had fallen into Sugoroku when the plane jolted. As if on cue, the plane jerked again, and Yugi felt his stomach fly up and crash into his upper diaphragm when the plane, in essence, dropped. Many people gasped. The man behind him, who’d woken up an hour or so ago, heaved once more. The acrid smell wafted into Yugi’s nose, making it feel like his stomach was attempting to tango with his intestines. Or perhaps it was getting tangled _in_ them. Either way, it was most unpleasant. He lurched forward, hand covering his mouth and eyes screwed shut as he tried to keep his lunch from making a reappearance. No one needed that right now. 

Looking over, his grandpa appeared to be faring no better. He looked pale, perhaps even a little green, and tense. People’s voices rose in confusion and panic, the baby from earlier wailing as it’s rest was disturbed. 

Chaos. It would seem Yugi had spoken too soon and now this was going to be the highlight of his flight. 

The plane gave another violent jerk, making the others previously seem like little bounces. Things went flying. A few people went flying too. Then Yugi registered the speed dropping dramatically. They had leveled out and were slowing down. A voice, slightly strained, spoke up over the intercom systems once again, saying that they had landed safely and that passengers should grab any loose belongings and prepare to exit. Once the plane was fully stopped, the attendant thanked everyone for flying with them and directed everyone to stand up and file out into the terminal. 

After they were off and had claimed their bags, both Mutohs stepped out of Cairo airport. There, they were greeted by professor Arthur Hopkins, Sugoroku’s friend. Apparently, they’d met on an archeological dig in America, years ago. After that, his grandpa and the professor had gone to many other digs together. They’d been working on this particular site in Egypt together for a few years now, and Yugi just about sold his soul to convince his mother and grandfather to let him come this time. School had just ended, he had a whole break to look forward to, plus a week digging in caves, sand, and previously discovered sites too. The violet-eyed teen wasn’t entirely sure why he’d wanted to come so bad. He had friends back in Domino, and he didn’t mind running the shop for his grandpa with his mother. The only excuse he’d been able to come up with was his unending curiosity about the puzzle hanging around his neck. It took the shape of a pyramid, except it was hanging upside down, and it had taken him eight years to complete. It’s Egyptian origins surely had to be interesting, the thing was made of solid gold and practically radiated power and mystery. But no matter where he looked or who he asked, there was nothing on the elusive item. The only person who knew anything about it was Ji-chan, and he’d gotten the information from the professor. Something about it being solved by the purest of heart and gaining the power of the shadows. It sounded scary. And confusing. Yugi didn’t consider himself to be pure of heart, let alone the purest. He’d assumed that there were multiple people the riddle on the puzzle’s box could’ve been referring to, but his grandfather told him that the Egyptians were very careful when inscribing upon items, especially if the items were important enough to be made of solid gold. But Yugi shook the thought off. He was here to have fun and to learn, perhaps even gain some digging experience. 

It was late into the night when they arrived at the hotel. The two older men had spent the majority of the car ride discussing when the Mutohs should come to the site, what they’d found so far, theories on where the tomb of the pharaoh they were searching for might be located, and what room the two were staying in. Yugi had remained quiet, trying his best to stay awake while dealing with jet lag. He’d gone to Duelist Island, but he had no idea where that was located and hadn’t really suffered much in that regard. Plus, he’d never traveled outside of Japan, so he was struggling. The professor helped them haul their bags to the elevator and to their room where they were dumped unceremoniously on the floor. 

Yugi was utterly exhausted, wanting nothing more than to collapse and sleep for eternity. He tossed his suitcase onto the bed nearest the little balcony, staking his claim, and then promptly passed out.


	2. Dreams of Sinking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, this was a bit longer than I originally was expecting it to be, so enjoy!  
> (I had something else I wanted to say... Crap! I can’t remember now!)
> 
> Also! I’ve pre-written chapters (I think I mentioned this already) on paper and just need to type then up on the computer or phone. I only have up to chapter three, and have started on four, so you can look forward to that.
> 
> I want to add here that figuring out how to use the italics _and_ get it to fit the format I wanted was a Pain. In. The. Ass.
> 
> As always, I don’t own a damn thing. Plus I don’t make profit off this either, if that was at all a concern.
> 
> Enjoy~!

_Yugi panted harshly. He'd been running for a while. The darkness seemed to stretch on forever, it was never-ending. And worse, he was alone. There seemed to be no one for miles in any direction. But, there was something._

Multiple _somethings. That made scary growling noises and had reflective eyes that watched him run._

_He was exhausted and scared out of his mind and was so confused. Where was he? What was this awful place? How did he even get here? Yugi was beginning to panic. What would those creatures do to him if they caught him? And then he heard it. A voice. A smooth, deep, rich voice calling out._

_At first, Yugi was even more concerned and confused, but then the mysterious voice said something he could understand. "Hello?" Without thinking, he changed his direction immediately, running as fast as his short legs would carry him._

_He opened his mouth to scream for help, but found that he couldn't get the words out due to his dire need of air. The voice kept calling out, becoming slightly concerned now. The voice was definitely getting louder, and as the mystery person’s voice grew in volume, Yugi's hope and relief grew as well. Finally, someone to help him out of this ever consuming darkness. He gave an extra burst of speed, wheezing and panting harshly, before out of nowhere a figure appeared in front of him, Yugi slamming into it. The last thing he caught before falling backward was a pair of deep crimson eyes wide with surprise._

_He waited for the feeling of the ground to come into contact with the back of his head, but it never came. Someone had grabbed one of his flailing arms and was pulling him upright… except Yugi was far too exhausted to stand at the moment. His knees buckled underneath him as his vision swam. “Hey! Are you alright?” It was the same voice as before. They -er-_ he _sounded worried. Yugi blinked several times to clear his view. The stranger was male, was a few inches taller than him, and had red eyes. And was currently talking to him and trying to set him up, obviously concerned for the smaller teen. “I-!” Yugi gasped, but the words were sucked back in._

_The poor boy was still panting harshly, his adrenalin leaving him to feel like the equivalent of a slinky; not really good for much, but brings a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs. Or so the bullies at his high school thought. “U-um, are you sure you’re alright?” the stranger asked nervously. Yugi blinked up at him, noticing his sharp features, unusual eye color, and hairstyle unique but scarily similar to that of his own. They looked like siblings!_

_“What?” he squeaked. “You were chuckling, which isn’t something I’d expect from someone who just ran through the Shadow Realm.” the other replied uncertainly. Yugi’s violet eyes widened, his cheeks tinting a soft pink in embarrassment. “I-I! Sorry! I was just, uh, remembering something! I, uh, I’m Yugi, b-by the way.” The way he stumbled through his sentences most likely made him sound unintelligent or much younger than he actually was._

_The mystery man smiled softly. “Yugi. I like it. I’ve never heard anything like it.” Yugi found himself captivated by the way the other smiled. The smile itself was so warm and happy. It was odd seeing a real smile from someone he’d just met. Usually, people didn’t give you real smiles until they knew you better. The violet-eyed teen blushed once more and looked down, but movement out of the corner of his eye reminded him of why he’d come to the stranger in the first place._

_Urgently, he turned to him and asked, “Do you know a way out of here? I don’t know how I got here and I don’t know what’s over_ there,” _he jerked his head in the direction of the movement before continuing, “and I don’t know how to get out of here and I don’t know how long I can keep running and you’re the only person I’ve seen here so far so_ please!” _He was gasping at the end, fighting back tears of fear and despair and gripping the man's dream white robes._

_"Yugi." the man said softly, and something about his voice made the smaller teen open his eyes and look up. "I cannot take you out of this place. It is out of my power to do so," Yugi could feel the tears building up in his eyes. "But," the man continued," I can show you have to leave on your own." "H-how!?" Yugi cried. Again, the man smiled gently. It brought about calm in the violet-eyed teen._

_"This is only a dream, little one.“_

“Wake up!"

Yugi jerked awake, tensing when rolled over, expecting to fall out of his tiny twin size. Instead, he was met with an expansive area of pristine white bedsheets. He could roll over again if he wanted. He was currently facing the balcony door which had the blinds pulled down, yet still the persistent Ray's of the morning sun peeked through. The absence of his grandfather's snores was the next thing that caught his attention. Yugi rolled over again, looking for his grandpa, but what met him instead was the sight of a neatly made bed and a small piece of paper with a note scribbled on it. Grumbling, he hauled his aching, exhausted body off of the comfortable mattress and shuffled over to the note.

-'Yugi, I've gone down to the hotel lobby to get breakfast. It sounded like you must've had a rough flight yesterday or perhaps a nightmare or something, so I figured I'd let you sleep in a little. Don't worry, I'll grab you something. Make sure to take a shower and wear good digging clothes! Also, keep in mind it'll be hot out today. ~Ji-chan'-

Yugi sighed and smiled softly. This was why he was the best grandpa in the world. After taking a quick shower and choosing a tank top plus a pair of cargo shorts- which wasn't really his style but Ji-chan made him promise to wear them- and grabbed his puzzle, putting it around his neck and holding it gently. He enjoyed the odd but still comforting hum in his mind when he held the item.

Someone gave a small knock on the door before entering. In walked Ji-chan with a hard-boiled egg and half of a giant muffin. Yugi decided to eat on the way to the site, so they got in a cab and were off. He was very excited, yet he couldn't help the lingering feeling of exhaustion. He could remember that dream from last night. Quite clearly, actually, but he wasn’t sure how to tell his grandpa about it. It didn’t seem that important anyway. ‘Maybe I’ll tell him later tonight…’ Yugi thought.

Once the cab finally lurched to a stop, he sprung from the car and raced over to the group of diggers that were already there. He spotted professor Hopkins and then remembered that he’d completely ignored the older man the other night at the hotel. He quickly apologized, the professor just laughing and giving him a good-humored pat on the back.

He was handed a shovel and told that there was a team working on unearthing what they hope is an unmarked grade or a cache of clay tablets or something. He almost ran off right then and there, but he needed to ask the man if he knew anything more about the puzzle, or if they’d dug up anything cool yet. “Sorry to disappoint you, my boy. I’m afraid that I can’t tell you much else, other than the fact that your puzzle is rumored to have once belonged to the lost pharaoh that we are currently searching for.” The professor gave Yugi an apologetic shrug. “And no, we haven’t found anything besides a few teeth and what we hope is part of a jaw. That’s why we have people digging over there now.”

Yugi hummed his thanks and sped off. The site everybody was working on was smack dab in the middle of nowhere. There was sand in literally every direction. The diggers had dug several feet into the ground, making a huge square-shaped hole that looked like the space for the foundation of an office building. They had set up nets and planks of wood to help hold in the walls of sand that threatened to spill in. The professor had told him to go over and help out the gravesite team near the main pit. Because they’d found human remains there, they hoped that there was something they might find.

Yugi couldn’t help but shiver in excitement and anticipation.

Yugi panted, wiping an unnatural amount of sweat off his forehead for the hundredth time that hour. It had been about three hours of consistently shoveling sand out of a hole that wasn’t any deeper than when they’d started.

Of course, the people there with him had many great stories and experiences to share, and he was grateful for the distraction. Each tale was unique and interesting and held his interest, helping him ignore his aching body and exhausted senses so he could hear the results of the effort each person put into their passion.

Many people were just here for money, but those many, Yugi observed, only wanted the money because they needed a large amount of it and fast. He could understand that. They lived in a world where if you wanted to live, you needed money. But then there were the people like Aurthur, Ji-Chan, him and a few others that came just to learn and discover a piece of the past, and even possibly share it with the rest of the world. Though, that didn’t mean that the money wasn’t an added- and needed- bonus.

“Hey Yugi?” the girl who’d been digging next to him, Chelsie was her name, spoke up. He turned his head to the side, giving her his attention. “Yeah?” Her brows furrowed in concern. “You look, like, really red. Your complexion went from ghostly to Bob the Tomato. I think you should go drink some water and cool off. It’s not good to push yourself, especially if this is your first time in these kinds of conditions. Go on, we’ve got it here.” she added with a smile, talking over his attempts to protest.

So, without much choice, he reluctantly set his shovel down and turned around to head to the orange relief tents on the other side of the site. Once there, Yugi poked his head inside one of the tents. Ji-Chan was there, guzzling a bottle of water greedily and listening as the professor discussed the progress of the diggers and what they’d found. He decided not to bother the two and instead grabbed a bottle of water and hurried around to the other side of the tent.

There was a little shade from the giant water truck, plus a little privacy for Yugi to get his bearings back. Not that he’d usually need a moment, but he’d been around people he didn’t know almost all day, socializing and pushing himself way past his physical limits.

Now that he had a moment to breathe, he realized that his head felt like someone was trying to pop it like a balloon. He felt too hot and dizzy, like he was blushing. His vision became a little blurry and spots began to creep in. He had trouble breathing- wait. Was he falling? Why was the world moving?

He caught himself before he doubled over, emptying his stomach onto the sandy ground below him. He watched as his puzzle swung back and forth below his face, glad that he hadn’t gotten it dirty. It shimmered in the sunlight, as if in pity. There was a feeling, besides nausea, that was pulling at him, coaxing him forward. There was somewhere he needed to be, someone he needed to meet. Those were the only feverish thoughts in his unfocused mind as he stumbled forward out of the shade.

Yugi wasn’t sure how long he wandered. He was aware that he’d left his water bottle by the truck and that he could no longer hear the sounds of the site workers working. He had the puzzle locked in a desperate, sweaty grip, while the other arm swung uselessly at his side. And then he stopped.

His foot was sinking into the sand, past the hot layers and down into the cooler parts. He looked down, blinking as he realized that the sand was now at his knees, seemingly eating him whole! Then, it was like the sand underneath his feet disappeared. Yugi fell back onto the desert floor. The last thing he saw before being completely swallowed by the Earth was the cloudless sapphire blue sky. He was aware of the heat of the sand quickly leaving as he sunk down further and further.

He was so terrified, he flailed his arms, at first trying to climb his way out and then trying to swim to the surface. He clawed desperately, feeling the sand sift futility through his fingers. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t see, and he couldn’t think. He could feel the sand shifting all around him and he could barely keep up, let alone begin panicking. Was this going to be his end? He felt tears spring forth, causing the sand to stick to his cheeks and forehead.

He kicked his legs frantically, struggling in a blind hope that this place wouldn’t become his grave, that his grandpa would not have to dig his dead body from out of the sands. The pressure in his head shot from an annoying but tolerable throb to overbearing agony plus the pandemonious thoughts of ‘I’m going to die now’. His fingertips burned and the muscles in his legs and arms screamed with overuse. His lungs were begging for air as his frantic heart beat wildly within him.

He could feel the merciful claws of darkness overtaking his brain, lulling him into a deep, inviting sleep. It was so tempting, so comforting. ‘Help me…’ his weak voice echoed in his mind sadly before he was engulfed by the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m pretty sure you can guess who Yugi met in the Shadow Realm. (If you can’t, then you should be reading the manga and watching the anime.)
> 
> Also, if you were curious as to what was chasing Yugi, it was the monsters from Kong: Skull Island. Those things are frakin’ terrifying!  
> Yeah, but those aren’t even on my list of ‘top ten things that would instantly make you shet your pants.’  
> (Yes, I have a list like that. It keeps me up at night)
> 
> Before I forget! There is a quote in here that I absolutely had to include. I’m sure you’ve heard it: 
> 
> “Some people are like slinkies. Not really good for much, but bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.”
> 
> Not sure who it’s by, but I feel like it represents me.
> 
> One more thing: constructive criticism welcome! Please! FIND A FLAW IN MY WORK!!! 
> 
> Thank you~!


	3. Breathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, so, this took a little longer than I originally thought it would (it's just transcribing something that's already been written). You know, an idea one day and a little procrastination and you've got yourself a writing career!
> 
> Heh, this one is also a shorter one (compared to ch 4, which is my longest one yet)
> 
> I have started on ch 5, though it's only a paragraph right now.
> 
> Also, when you see this _//example//_ , it means that one of the two (Yugi or Atem) is talking to the other through the bond they share (courtesy of the Millenium Puzzle(s)
> 
> I wanted to clarify, I'm writing the chapters in a notebook, then typing them up on the computer, then running them through Grammarly before posting them here. So blame typos on the robots that beta my works :)
> 
> And of course, I don't own nothin'.

Pain.

Lots of pain.

Everywhere.

His whole body felt like it was on fire, like a road rash or something. He felt light-headed, dizzy. The world around him was fuzzy. Where was he? What happened? Carefully, Yugi attempted to open his eyes and was rewarded with a blurry view of colors, shapes, and shadows that danced to the faraway sounds and voices he heard. Or was that one voice? He could remember being hot and drinking water in the shade of the truck by the dig site. Then he… walked off. Because he felt something, pulling him onwards. It was a feeling, like a gut instinct but much stronger.

And then he fell, or rather, _sank._ He could remember the cold, rough clutches of the unwelcoming sand and the exhausting darkness pulling at his mind as he panicked. He’d been scared out of his mind because he couldn't breathe. And then, nothing. He couldn’t remember anything after that, except now. The voice was getting clearer, and Yugi was able to discern that there was a figure standing in front of, or rather, over him. They were speaking to him, saying words that he still couldn’t quite understand.

They were speaking Egyptian, he realized with a start. He blinked, further clearing his eyesight. As he slowly became more aware, he moved his head to the side, trying to examine his surroundings and get a feel for where he was. The Egyptian, whom Yugi realized was male, was not, in fact, standing over him, but had the teen _resting in his lap,_ and was attempting to speak to him again. He would’ve tried to understand the other had he not been fixated by how _close_ the other was. Much to close, actually.

In a less than graceful motion, he pushed himself away from the man and onto the cold stone floor. Pushing himself up on shaky arms, he noticed the man had moved a little closer to him, his arms out and at the ready to catch Yugi should he fall back. “U-um.” Yugi stuttered, unsure what to do, his amethyst eyes studying the other closely. The man paused, eyes meeting his and then spoke up. “Are you alright?”

The breath in Yugi’s chest was stolen from him. There was no way, right? ‘He sounds just like the man from my dream! He even asked me the exact same thing!’ “Um, hello?” The other sounded worried. “I… I remember you.” Yugi breathed, shocked. The man blinked and nodded, giving him a small smile. “Yes, I’m surprised you can remember that. Most don’t.” he replied vaguely.

The teen eyed the other man. He had the same starfish-like hair, with the red highlights and the spikes of golden blond trailing upwards. He was much more tan than Yugi and was wearing a crown with the Eye of Horus on his forehead. He was wearing the same cream-colored robes with the long purple cape and a few armbands.

He was also wearing Yugi’s puzzle.

Yugi could feel his eyes widen and a sense akin to panic rushed through him, but before he could question the other, he felt a familiar pulse of comfort. Looking down, he realized why: the puzzle, _his_ puzzle, was still dangling from the cord around his neck. Which meant that the man in front of him had one that looked like it. Without thinking, his head jerked up and he blurted the first thing on his mind. “You’ve got one like mine!” The bronze-skinned man’s brows wrinkled in confusion before his expression relaxed in understanding. “The Millenium Puzzle,” he clarified, Yugi nodding, “is an ancient relic of powerful shadow magic. It is, or _was,_ the pharaoh’s Millenium item - of which there are seven in total. The pharaoh would use his item to protect his people from foreign attacks. Although originally, the Item’s purpose was to help the user channel shadow energy, it was also used to fight against opponents that weren't using shadow magic. Unfortunately, many, if not all pharaohs were consumed with greed or diluted by their own power, so the Item began to reject its users. Until one young pharaoh came along and was deemed worthy of its power.” the man finished.

Yugi blinked, brows scrunching up in confusion. “But wait. I thought you said… Then why…?” he struggled. The other man (Yugi really needed to get his name) chuckled softly. “The young pharaoh that I spoke of was the last one to hold the puzzle. He was told by a close vizier and another wielder of a Millenium item that he had a lighter side, a..." The man trailed off uncertainly, seemingly thinking hard to remember the word he was looking for. "Oh, yes! She used the word 'Hikari", though I've never heard of the word before, so I'm not entirely sure what it means. Someone to help balance out the dark powers the puzzle possessed. Powers that were becoming hard to control. The pharaohs before him had an easier time because they were overtaken by their sins, their darkness, unable to change. Of course, that’s why they died early on in their lives. The lighter half of the puzzle had become so upset with the darkness of the men that held captive of it for so long that it split from the darker half, unbalancing the item as a whole. It sealed itself away in its grief and anger until the last pharaoh convinced it to work with him. It was prophesied that the one who solved the lighter half of the puzzle was destined to be the 'Hikari' of the pharaoh. Together, they would use the powers of the Millenium Puzzle to protect and defend all they could.” Yugi had heard a variation of this story before, from professor Hopkins. It sounded similar to the Legend of the Lost Pharaoh.

The other male paused, noticing the gleam of recognition in Yugi’s eyes. “So, you’ve heard this story before?” “I think so, though there were a lot more details in your story than I remember.” The other nodded. “I’m sure there are many variations of the legend, most people just believe it to be an old Egyptian myth. Though I can assure you, the story is very real.” Then Yugi remembered hearing the foreign word fall from the other man's lips and beamed. "Hikari, it means light in Japanese! Though, why you would need to know a Japanese word is beyond me..." Yugi trailed off in thought. The bronze-skinned man hummed, thinking as well. "I've not heard of Japanese before."

Yugi turned to him in surprise. How could this man have never heard of Japan! It wasn't a world superpower, sure, but it certainly was a first-world country with terrifying military history. Though, history aside, there were also many other wonderful things about Japan... How could someone _not have heard of it?_ The man chuckled at the way Yugi balked at him. "Perhaps it is time to introduce myself. My name is Atem, and I believe you know me best as the lost pharaoh, the one from the story I told you." 

It could have been the fact that Yugi knew his grandfather was digging for the myth right now, or that he knew nothing about the stranger in front of him, but something in the depths of those crimson pools caused a shiver to crawl up his spine, thickening the atmosphere around them with a heavy seriousness. ‘H-he’s not kidding…’ Yugi thought, shock and disbelief coursing through him.

And then, at the sound of his voice, the mood shifted. "You, Yugi, have solved the lighter half of my, or rather, _our_ Millennium Puzzle. It is nice to finally meet you.”

Yugi paused. There was no way. None of this was true. Was it an elaborate prank? If so, then it was very convincing and not at all nice. ‘But wait. Is this guy the caretaker of this place? If so, I wonder if he’s all alone here.’ There were pictures and hieroglyphs covering the walls, perhaps the poor man had just gone crazy or something, what with being in here all the time. But then again, if he was the caretaker here, then didn't that mean that this place was open to tourists or something? One thing was certain though: if the man was here, then there was some way to get out.

“You don’t believe me.” It wasn’t a question or a thought. It was a statement. He turned his violet eyes back up to crimson worriedly. ‘He wouldn’t do anything, would he?’ That thought was enough to put him on edge. Yugi didn’t know this man. ‘He said his name was Atem, but that and the story -which I’ve heard from a credible person- are the only believable things he’s said.’

Atem sighed and then reached up to grip his half of the puzzle dangling from around his neck. _//Can you hear me, aibou?//_ Yugi swore he felt his soul attempts to leave his body the moment he heard what sounded like Atem’s voice inside his head. Externally, the teen about launched into the air in fright. Atem gave a small smirk, and Yugi felt a sense of amusement that _definitely wasn’t his_ drift through him. “Wh-what-!” he choked. How was this possible?! It wasn’t, he was going crazy. ‘Yeah. That must be what this feels like. There’s just no logical explanation.' The small smirk on Atem’s face quickly fell, his eyebrows coming to bunch worriedly below his spikey blond bangs and golden crown. _//Calm down, partner. I can explain, just breathe.//_ It was too overwhelming. Yugi was aware of things like panic attacks and sensory overloads, they both sounded like the same thing, and was sure he was spiraling down into one of them now. Panic was attempting to push logic and reasoning far out of reach. Fear consumed him, his thoughts ricocheting around the confines of his frozen mind and his heart was starting to thunder in his ears and throat. _//Aibou!_ Breathe. _//_

Again, Yugi heard Atem’s voice. The man had moved forward and was gripping his shoulders, their eyes level. Atem’s gaze was… easy to get lost in. Eventually, after recognizing and accepting that _yes,_ he’d been close to dying from falling into quicksand, _yes,_ he could hear and communicate telepathically with the stranger he met _how long ago_ , and _yes,_ Atem hadn’t lied about anything so magic was real and he most definitely _was_ the lost pharaoh of Egypt Yugi and his grandfather plus an entire team of archeologists were looking for, he was finally able to calm down enough to breathe properly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you’d have that kind of reaction… It honestly went much better in my head.” The pharaoh gave Yugi and apologetic look. Yugi offered him a weak smile in return. “Nowadays, magic is either a myth or an illusion. People fear the unknown and magic is quite unfamiliar. Not to mention all the movies made about magic, depicting how dangerous it is…” the violet-eyed teen explained hesitantly. Atem blinked, understanding filling his face. “I see. The outside world has changed. But you believe me, correct?” Yugi chuckled, bringing a hand to scratch sheepishly at the back of his neck.

“Yeah. Guess I kinda have to. I mean, I’ve seen, or rather, heard the proof myself.”

“Then let’s get out of here. I’m sure there are people looking for you.”

“Right.”

Yugi accepted the hand he was offered and pulled himself up. As they began walking through the hieroglyph covered sandstone walls, he spoke up hesitantly. “I-I’m Yugi, by the way. Thanks for, um, helping me.” The pharaoh looked over at him and smiled softly, “Of course. And I know, you told me when we first met in the shadow realm, remember?” The smaller teen supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised, what with everything else he’d learned was real. It didn’t stop the little blush of embarrassment to color his cheeks pink though. “R-right, I forgot.” he mumbled. Atem laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it, I'm worried I'm making Yugi too OOC. It certainly seems that way to me...
> 
> Plus, I've never experienced a panic attack, nor do I know anyone who has, so I hope I was able to make it seem like a real panic attack.
> 
> So, I've gone through my last two chapters and revised them, typos and stuff...
> 
> Also, while there was a little bit of Atem in the last chapter, here we get to see more of him! For the entire chapter! Yay! Haha, hope I haven't made him too OOC either...
> 
> One more thing, I looked that the beginning of the chapter and was like ' _Damn_. That's a mood.' 
> 
> I dunno, it sounded like the beginning of a depressed, gothy poem. Not that there's anything wrong with gothy poems! Just not my cup of tea!


	4. I'm No Mountain Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this is late, even though I warned you that I didn't have a set schedule. Anyway, enjoy the longest chapter yet, when compared to the others.
> 
> Y'all, I'm friggin exhausted. I don't know why, could just be stress from school, we have had an abnormal amount of work, _hard_ work at that, loaded onto our shoulders these past few weeks. Plus my wifi went down, and my B-day was the first week of February (I totally wanted to post this on my B-day, but I suck at keeping my own promises), and then I just procrastinated.
> 
> But it's here! Yay. My brain hurts... I hate Speech class. And writing essays, which is ironic because I can write four chapters of fanfiction, but I can't write a single paragraph about veterans or one of the wars that happened in the past. Pathetic...
> 
> Anyway, I don't own nothin'. If I did, Yugi wouldn't be so short. 
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I think it's cute, but I feel like it'd be a sore spot for him. But hey, that's coming from a tall person, so what do I know.

It had taken some time to walk through the maze of tunnels and hallways, Yugi using the time to ask any and all questions he could think of. Apparently, the teen’s soul was the lighter half of Atem’s soul, to balance out the darkness or something. Yugi had been a bit apprehensive when he heard that, Atem made it sound like he was evil, though he could understand the concept. It was quite popular, not just in Japan, but in many other countries. Yin and Yang: light and dark, balance. Harmony.

In turn, Atem asked a plethora of questions about the world and Yugi. What was his life like? What were his hobbies? What did his home look like? What were his parents like? Did he have siblings? What was this odd new language he spoke?

They were so rapid-fire that Yugi didn’t even attempt to answer any of them. Instead, he opted to let Atem run out of breath - and questions- before answering what he could remember. “Well, um, you asked about my family, right?” he asked, looking up at Atem, who was huffing dramatically. The taller nodded, giving Yugi an eager smile to show he was listening.

“Ok, um, so Ji-chan, my grandpa, is the one who pretty much raised me since my dad left me and my mom when I was young. Oka-san does her best, and I love her for trying, but I feel like she can be a bit of a space-cadet,” Yugi admitted with a blush, rubbing the back of his neck, “And I don’t have any siblings that I’m aware of.” the smaller male put a finger on his chin in thought, then nodding and smiling up at Atem to show he was done talking.

“Space cadet?” the pharaoh asked, tilting his head. “Oh! Um, people who, uh, don’t really focus that well, I guess. I’m not really sure how to define it so you’ll understand.” he admitted, scratching his head and laughing. Nodding, Atem responded, “I assumed as much, considering you’re from, in a sense, a completely different world than me. There’s bound to be some things you can’t explain to me.”

“So, tell me about your life and your country. What’s it like there?” And the pharaoh was back to asking questions with boundless curiosity and limitless energy. Again, Yugi chuckled. “I live in a country called Japan. The city I live in is called Domino, and it’s a pretty small town. I have a few friends there, they love going to competitions with me. I love playing games, though I guess that’s to be expected, seeing as Ji-chan owns a game shop. I’m good at most games too! I especially love duel monsters! I beat Kaiba one time at a game to get Ji-chan’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon card back but he ripped it up! And then I went to Duelist island after his soul was taken by Pegasus, the creator of duel monsters, and had to battle-!” ''W-wait, Yugi.” Atem interrupted, putting a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. Yugi had begun to mindlessly gush over the details of his adventures and hadn’t noticed the worried expression on the pharaoh’s face.

“Kaiba? He’s still alive? That’s not possible.” Atem said, looking confused. “U-um, Seto Kaiba? The owner and head of Kaiba Corporations?” Yugi asked, also confused. How would Atem know Kaiba? “Ah, no. The power-hungry priest who is a less-than-favorable person and has challenged me to more duels than I can count.” “Oh, I don’t know that Kaiba, but he sounds a lot like the one I know. He's constantly challenging me to a rematch, it’s scary! He’s really obsessed. Though, I know he cares about his younger brother Mokuba. He even flew to Duelist Kingdom when he woke up from his coma to rescue his brother and stop Pegasus from taking control of his company.” Yugi explained.

The duo turned a corner; the hallways, he noticed, were becoming dimmer. “I see. So this Pegasus man kidnapped both your grandpa and Kaiba’s brother? Why did he take your grandpa?” Atem asked, his head turning to give Yugi a questioning look. “ He’d heard that I’d beaten the regional champion -Kaiba- and he wanted me to come to his island to compete for the title ‘The King of Games’, plus he also needed to defeat me in a duel to gain complete access to Kaiba Corp. He knew I wouldn’t accept the challenge, so he somehow took Ji-chan’s soul during a test match through a video recording. To be honest, I’m still not entirely sure how he did that, I guess he really was just using the power of that weird eye thing to foresee all my moves.” the teen shrugged, eyebrows drawing together in a look of puzzled concentration.

“So what happened? Did you defeat him? Did you get your grandpa’s soul back?” Atem asked eagerly, his eyes shining with excitement and curiosity. The man ducked his head under a low hanging stone archway before straightening back up. For a second, Yugi’s breath paused in his chest at the look on the other’s face. Then the moment was gone and the teen shook his head, turning his attention back in front of him.

“W-well, with the help of my friends, I became one of the top ten duelists that were left on the island and got the chance to battle Pegasus. The man had some sort of weird ancient artifact in place of his left eye. Jounouchi claimed that it was the reason Pegasus was able to see every move his opponent was going to make before they even made it. I still wonder how right he is, but of course, Jou was the one who battled -and defeated- the other presumed ‘mind reader’. Kujaku Mai, she’d led all who dueled her to believe that she could see her cards without turning them face up once. She’d challenged Jou to a duel, assuming he was a weak player and was therefore easy points. She almost won until Jou figured out her trick. She’d sprayed all her cards with different perfumes and memorized a certain smell to each card. Pretty smart, right?”

Atem nodded, fascinated. “ Did you beat Pegasus though?” Smiling, Yugi nodded. “Yes, he was a cheater but even so I beat him.” The teen puffed out his chest a little, standing a bit taller. “So you now have the title ‘The King of Games’?” “Yep!” Yugi beamed. The pharaoh smiled, then asked, rather offhandedly, “Was there any other sort of prize?”

“Oh, yes. There was a prize of about 3,000,000 yen, but I gave that card to Jounouchi. He needed it to help pay for his sister’s eye surgery.” Atem blinked. “Card? And why did she need surgery?” Yugi placed his finger on his cheek, looking off to the side thoughtfully as he explained. “Well, to get the chance to duel Pegasus, you needed a special card that came in the mail with the invitation. It was like your special pass. The same thing was for the prize money, only it was a different card. Except Jounouchi was never invited but still wanted to compete anyway. His whole reason for even coming to the island, while yes, to support me, was because his sister was going to go blind if they didn’t do a very expensive operation on her eyes. But, as I said, it was very expensive and neither Jou nor his family had enough money to pay for it. So he had an opportunity to win enough and he took it. Of course, it’s not like I needed the money, so I had no problem giving the prize card to him. Plus, if they had waited any longer, they wouldn’t have been able to do the surgery and Shizuka, his sister, would have never been able to see again.”

Yugi could see something up ahead. They’d stopped turning corners and were now walking straight forward. “So he decided to duel for the prize money so he could pay for her operation.” Atem summarized. He smiled and looked down at Yugi. “Sounds like a good friend and an excellent brother. How did you two meet?”

The teen paused, a sheepish grin making its way into his face. “Um, well, funny you should ask. Jounouchi and Honda -my other friend- used to be high school punks; picking on kids, roughing it in the streets, getting grades that would make a poor man blush. They were no different than the other school bullies that I’d encountered. One day, I decided to bring the unfinished pieces of the puzzle so I could try and solve it in my free time, and without me noticing, Jou took a piece and threw it in the school pool so I would be unable to finish it.”

Catching Atem’s darkened look, Yugi chuckled softly and continued.”Ushio had seen them picking on me the day before and went to offer his services to me as a bodyguard. I didn’t figure out ‘till later that it actually cost something. Ushio was the school hall monitor. He was very strict and was generally favored by the teachers and staff because of his ability to keep many of the kids in line. None of them realized that he went around selling his services to weaker kids just to squeeze money out of them.” Yugi sighed. He remembered the night when he was accessing his stash of money, realizing that he hadn’t had enough to pay Ushio’s outrageous demand.

“After school that day, he’d cornered Jou and Honda and beat the snot out of them. Then he pulled me aside and showed me their beaten forms against the wall, offering to hurt them more if I wanted, out of revenge and all. I refused, and when questioned why, I told him that they were my friends and that I would never wish harm on them. He got mad and went to finish what he’d started, but I jumped in front of him and took the beating. After I went home, I realized that the puzzle was missing a piece. I was so distraught, that had been the farthest I’d ever come to solving the puzzle and now I was only a piece away.”

Atem listened quietly, not daring to interrupt the story. Yugi turned his head up to the other and smiled, eyes sparkling with softness and amusement. “And then Ji-chan came up to my room and gave me the missing piece, asking if I had lost it. He told me that a friend had stopped by just then, saying that I’d need it. He told me that the guy had been soaking wet and that when asked who he was had told Ji-chan that he was a friend of mine. The thing that puzzled grandpa and I the most, though, was that there had been no rain outside that night, so there was no apparent reason for Jou to be all wet.” Yugi laughed at the memory.

“The next day, I found out that Ushio had been suspended for beating kids up on school grounds. After that, me, Jou, Honda, and Anzu all began hanging out. And then we met Bakura Ryou. He’s a great guy, though we were a little uncertain at first. I’m pretty sure he’s got a Millenium item too!” Yugi exclaimed, turning to Atem. The pharaoh’s eyes widened. “Really? Which item, do you know?”

The light at the end of the extremely long hallway had become a little brighter, making Yugi wonder briefly what was up ahead. “Well, not really, as I don’t know any of the Millenium items, but it looks like a ring with little points hanging off of it. There’s an eye in the center of a triangle that’s in the middle. When we got stuck in the tunnels at Duelist Kingdom, one of the points rose and led us in new directions until we made it out, like it was guiding us or something. He said his father gave it to him.”

Atem hummed, looking troubled. “It sounds like the Millenium Ring. Last I remember seeing it, it was in the clutches of a thief.” “Oh, well, Bakura’s no thief. As I said, he’s a good friend.” Nodding, Atem replied, “Of course.”

Yugi looked forward. The light was much brighter now, appearing to be in the shape of a large stone archway several feet above his head, like a giant rectangle. It was a grand entrance, certainly. Turning his head to Atem, he spoke. “I’ve talked a lot about me. Actually, I’ve been talking too much, what about you?”

Atem blinked down at Yugi and chuckled. “What do you wish to know, little one?” The teen pouted a bit at being referred to as little, though he found the term of endearment to be less bothersome than usual. If anything, it made him feel a little warm inside. Huffing, he replied. “What was it like being pharaoh, b-back then? Was it hard?”

The tanned man gave a nostalgic sigh, closing his eyes and recalling the time. They’d reached the opening, standing before the vast desert glittering in the blinding sunlight. “I worked hard to protect and please my people, making sure they were living the best lives. I ruled with their best interest at heart, and my people were very grateful for that. They adored me because I was unlike all the other greedy, power-hungry pharaohs before me. I was the first ruler to establish orphanages for the homeless children, you know." the pharaoh smiled.

They stood there in the entrance, the sun behind them causing the shadow of the mountain of rock to stretch out, making it seem taller than it actually was. There were one or two cactuses in the distance that were the dots of color on a canvas of expansive, empty desert, and other than that, Yugi could only really identify two colors: sky blue and sandy gold. It then occurred to the teen that he had no idea where he was and therefore had no idea how to return to the dig site or his grandfather. He felt a hand on his shoulder and when he looked up, he was met with the reassuring look on Atem's face.

"Yugi, we will find your grandfather. I promise." He had a hopeful gleam in his eyes. Yugi believed him. Nodding, he responded by smiling determinedly, before frowning and turning his head forward. He grabbed his elbow with one hand and his chin with the other, thinking things through. It was his default stance, he'd been told. 'Assess your situation, and then your options. You're lost in the desert. But… you're standing by some tall, mountain-like rocks!' he thought, feeling a sense of hope trickle into him. And distantly, he recognized a feeling of relief and determination that was not his own.

He looked up, glancing at Atem who also looked as though he was thinking hard, and felt his mind wander a little. Then promptly shook his head, trying not to let his thoughts escape him, now was not the time, and looked up, walking out of the entrance and turning to face the mountain of sand and rocks before him. “Yugi, what is it?” the other called, jogging over to join him. “Well, seeing as we have no idea where we are (I’m assuming you don’t), what if we got a better vantage point? Climb to the top of the mountain-?” “And search for the site from there!” Atem finished. He looked up at the mountain as well and then down at Yugi, excitement and fondness making his crimson eyes glow and his expression become soft yet determined.

“It might actually work. Of course, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to try,” he added with a chuckle. “Now we just have to find the best way up.” the pharaoh grinned. They split up, searching the base for the safest way up. Eventually, Atem found a group of squarish rocks that looked like they could be climbed. The rocks only went halfway up, but they seemed to be their only choice so far.

Yugi glanced apprehensively up at the ‘path’. The rocks were almost as tall as he was, there was no way he’d be able to climb them! But of course, the height didn’t stop Atem. Yugi blinked and the man was on the third rock up. _Figures._ Gulping, the teen approached the first rock. He could see over the top of it, but that was about it. Reaching up, he placed his hands on top, briefly glancing down to see if there was anywhere to place his feet and help heft himself up.

Noticing a horizontal crack that was roughly three inches wide, he thrust the toe of his shoe inside and hoisted himself up. With about as much grace as a drunkard attempting to hop a chain-link fence, he made it past the first test of physical aptness. He was panting as hard as someone who’d run a marathon.

He heard Atem calling to him from somewhere farther up the mountain-side, asking if he needed any help. Briefly, an image of Yugi on Atem’s back flashed through his mind and he began laughing. Again, the teen registered an emotion that wasn’t his float through his conscious: concern. He knew these emotions were Atem’s, the latter having explained the bond between the two and the ability to communicate emotions and thoughts to one another. Huffing and propping himself up from where he’d been lying on his back trying to catch his breath, Yugi called back a ‘no thanks!’, then flopped back down again.

It took Yugi far longer than he would ever admit out loud, but he made it to the top by the time the sun was setting. The teen was still drained from the flight, then from the dream/sleepless night, then digging for a whole day through sand, and then from almost dying when he fell into sinking sand. He hadn’t really thought about his exhaustion since he’d been talking to Atem. The man _did_ make for a good distraction- uh, wait. No. He'd just met Atem hours ago, but that didn't mean he could think about the poor guy that way. But add all those draining moments together, plus the exhausting climb up the mountain and Yugi was honestly a little surprised and disappointed that he didn’t see any muscle growth. Not even a little. It made him curious as to how Atem got as fit as he did and nope-! He was doing it again!

“Are you alright?” Speak of the devil. Wheezing and blushing, Yugi replied, “Y-y-yeah. Just p-peachy!” The pharaoh didn’t even look out of breath. The teen could feel envy attempting to dig its vile claws into his heart at the thought of how seemingly perfect Atem was and shook his head fiercely. It never did anyone any favors to be envious of others. He focused instead on searching the glowing horizon for anything other than the occasional tree or cactus.

“There,” Atem spoke up, pointing at the spot where the sun-kissed the hills. Yugi squinted and could just barely make out an odd shape. “Lucky, I’d say.” the pharaoh turned to the smaller male. “If we stay here for the night, then we can set out during the day and follow the sun.” That _was_ lucky, now they wouldn’t have to walk in what they _hoped_ was the right direction, and use the sun as their guide. But there was still one problem.

“Stay here? As in, _sleep here out in the open with who knows what lurking about?!_ ” Yugi whipped around and fixed Atem with a shocked, wide-eyed look. There were animals out here! Dangerous ones! And sleeping on top of a mountain out in the open was, generally, a _bad idea_. Atem smiled softly, his eyes knowing. “We will be alright. The only thing we might have to worry about is the temperature, though that’s it. Bury yourself in the sand, it’ll keep you warm.” The pharaoh was already searching the area for a clean space to rest for the night. _//Aibou, if it helps, know that I won't let anything happen to you.//_ Yugi was still largely unfamiliar with the new bond, so hearing the crystal clear voice in his head still startled him. "Heh, I've never been camping before," he chuckled, embarrassed. Then something else caught his attention.

“W-what about food? Or water?” The sun was almost all the way beyond the horizon, blanketing the land in shadows. This would give the stars a chance to shine early, but Yugi was put off with the absence of the comforting heat and warm light. “I can scrounge a few lizards, if you want. I might even be able to find us a snake!” Atem's eyes glowed at the prospect of a meal, but Yugi shuddered. “U-um, no, thanks. I’ve, uh, magically lost my appetite, somehow,” he replied with a poorly concealed grimace, trying to be polite. Atem shrugged, unbothered.

After settling down, they both stared into the indigo sky. A few prominent stars were making their debut for the night, but they couldn’t hold his attention for long. The pharaoh began to name the stars and explain the many stories behind them, with Yugi, in turn, telling him about the constellations he knew of and the mythology therein. Sometime during the storytelling, the duo had laid down to get a better vantage point as more stars made their appearance. The violet-eyed teen eventually fell asleep curled up against Atem’s side, the latter wrapping his arm protectively around the former’s shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still feel like I made them OOC, but at this point, I'm almost too tired to even write in the notes section.
> 
> Anyway, when I wrote this chapter, I was having a hard time describing their surroundings and how they felt, what was happening, etc, so if it is a little hard to understand, that's why.
> 
> Hope y'all have a good day!
> 
> P.S. I based the title off of when Yugi was trying to rock climb with Atem, I had a little fun with that part.


	5. What is Happening to Me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you people even read these? Just curious... Sorry if it's been a while, been busy doing absolutely nothing. Also sorry if this is a little short, compared to the last one, I struggled at the end. I mean, I knew where I wanted this to go, but it's late and I just didn't have any _energy._
> 
> Anyway, stay safe, don't get the 'rona, don't be killin the people you're stuck with bc of shelter-in-place, uh.... Please leave kudos? Nah, I don't want them 'cause I asked for them. I want 'em 'cause I earned 'em.
> 
> Also wanted to add: there are two little excerpts from my life that I included here.  
> 1.) I **loath** politics. But I didn't really put that in here, just mention politics in general so...  
> 2.) One of my dad's favorite catchphrases (when teasing me) is "I'll throat-punch you!". He's a dork and I love him so I had to add it in here somewhere. He also likes to walk around the house and say "Get schwifty!" randomly. (Like from Rick and Morty) Total dork.

Yugi sighed deeply through his nose. His front was warm, but his back was freezing. Opposite temperatures were always uncomfortable, but he also had an arm under his body that was digging into the sand and bits of small rock beneath him. There was a dampness in the air, the kind that came and went with the morning sun. He could tell it was already dissipating. Then there was also the fact that Yugi was _cuddling with Atem._ The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind when he blinked awake and now he had no idea what to do. Atem’s arm was wrapped around the teen’s shoulders while he laid on his back, Yugi snuggled up to his side with his head resting on the pharaoh’s chest. The teen felt his face heat up, no doubt blushing red. Or course, he wasn’t _completely_ up against Atem, Yugi’s puzzle stopped that from happening.

Atem shifted, most likely feeling Yugi stiffen and attempt to shy away from him. The pharaoh rolled over, facing the teen and proceeding to spoon him, wrapping his arms around the smaller male and pulling him closer. His face was tucked under the pharaoh’s chin, in his neck with the puzzle now digging into his chest. He realized that Atem had most likely taken his off because it wasn’t currently in the way.

Yugi desperately wanted to put a professional amount of distance between them, but it was cold and by the looks of it, they still had another few hours until the sun came up, plus it wasn’t like the pharaoh was awake, so Yugi wouldn’t be judged for snuggling a little closer at that moment. He shifted around enough to move the puzzle out of the way and let Atem cuddle with him.

He noticed the way his body relaxed immediately afterward, and it made him revisit the past few hours or so he spent talking with the pharaoh uneasily. He’d been, well, he remembered the odd, off-thought about the other’s eyes, getting lost in them. Or the times he’d looked the other over. He’d been unsure what _that_ had been, not to mention last night when he’d been thinking about the man’s physique. He’d assumed it hadn’t meant anything other than one man’s recognition of another's attraction and that was _it._ But now? Of course, it was still inappropriate to think about someone like that.

It had barely been a day since he’d met the guy and now they were cuddling like they’d known each other for years. It was unsettling, but Yugi found that the thought didn’t scare him as much as it should’ve. He sighed. He was tired and thinking this much was like waking up in the morning and trying to read through the extensive conversation his group chat friends had late at night while he was asleep. On a school night, no less. So instead of obsessing over _what the heck these things meant,_ he closed his eyes and fell into a light sleep.

When next he opened his eyes, there was a gentle warmth from the rising sun, making Yugi’s numb ears and nose tingle. Atem was no longer holding him and he could hear the crackle of a fire, smelling the acrid scent of smoke nearby. He rolled over, blinking a few times in the morning light. He felt dirty, bits of sand and grit _everywhere._ He’d never wanted to take a shower more than he did at that moment. Funny, he could remember times when his mother had to negotiate with him, just to get him to go take a bath, like some sort of hostage situation, but in reverse.

Atem chuckled softly. “Good morning, little one.” Yugi looked over the licking flames of the fire Atem had built, meeting his gaze and blinking the last bits of sleep from his violet eyes. “What… What is that?” the teen asked, spotting the charred remains of what he hoped was just a piece of wood. “Breakfast.” the other answered simply, gesturing for Yugi to come and sit next to him. Grunting as he pushed himself off the ground, he moved toward where the pharaoh was seated on a rock close to the fire, enjoying the heat.

He blinked down at the aforementioned ‘breakfast’ and grimaced. “What-ah, what is it?” Another soft chuckle had Yugi turning his questioning look from 'breakfast' to Atem. “I noticed your aversion to it yesterday, so I figured I’d meet you halfway and only make you eat one. You’ll need the energy for our journey.” Right. It was just one lizard. If the actors in movies and reality TV shows could do it, then so could he. “O-of course!” he nodded, clenching his fists in determination.

Grabbing the lizard he studied it for a few moments before swiftly biting into it. He managed to restrain his reaction to the loud _crunch,_ suppressing a shudder at the texture on his tongue. He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to imagine he was actually biting into some crunchy chips that tasted a little like bacon. After he finished chewing, he turned to Atem and stated “Um, thank you, but next time how ‘bout I cook.” with a pained smile.

Atem just laughed and began eating his lizard hungrily. Once they finished, they began the perilous trek back down the mountainside, Yugi praying every step of the way. Throughout the treacherous journey, Atem was extremely patient and managed to keep his teasing to a minimum. Although, the teen knew he meant well; he could feel it through the bond they shared.

Of course, that didn’t stop Yugi from teasing him back. It was heartwarming, the friendly bantering. It made Atem seem less and less like a stranger to Yugi. Finally, they made it to the bottom, ensured they were heading in the right direction courtesy of the sun’s position, and headed off.

Yugi hadn’t noticed it before, but he was becoming extremely thirsty. He doubted Atem knew where to find water: he hadn’t been on the surface in years, centuries even! Things had to have changed since then, plus he knew whining about it was only going to worsen the situation, and he had a feeling Atem was also becoming thirsty. He’d save his complaints until they got to the site.

Along the way they talked about minuscule things; Yugi’s school and classes, what Atem’s education had been like. It was especially fun when Yugi asked about the pyramids, how they’d been built and whatnot. Atem’s answer being a vague and frustratingly simple “Magic.”, like the ancient structures _weren’t_ among The Seven Wonders of the World. And of course, the pharaoh asked questions of his own; friends, home life, family, politics- oddly enough, and games especially were all topics of conversation while they continuously checked the sun and their direction.

It wasn’t until the sun began setting that they spotted the mustard yellow tents flapping in the evening breeze. It was oddly quiet when Yugi raced up to the site, shouting frantically. He’d already been uneasy when they noticed the sun had started setting and they still hadn’t reached the camp, but now he was really anxious. Had his grandpa left? Were they out looking for him?

He burst into the tent, panting. He spotted his grandfather immediately, standing next to professor Hopkins and talking on the phone. Both men turned to the teen, surprised, before Sugoroku put the phone down and raced over to Yugi, throwing his arms around the smaller male.

“Yugi, my boy! Where have you been!? You almost gave me a heart attack, you scared me so bad! Where were you!? Are you all right? Why did you wander off!?” His poor grandpa was in tears, the older man squeezing the soul out of the violet-eyed teen. The professor moved over to the duo, placing a hand on Yugi’s shoulder. “You sure gave us all a good scare. Are you all right?” he asked, concerned. “Yes, yes I’m ok. I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you, I didn't mean to. I only made it back thanks to Atem. He saved my life.”

“Atem?” his grandpa asked, head quirked to the side and brows drawn together. “Ah, I do believe that was my cue. Hello, I am Atem.” the pharaoh spoke up from the tent entrance nervously. “You… You’re the one who saved my grandson?” Sugoroku asked, stepping toward the other. The pharaoh tensed, Yugi feeling the nervousness rolling through the bond in waves. He nodded and replied, “Yes sir.”

Now only a few feet apart, the older man lunged at Atem, wrapping his arms around the younger and sobbing out an almost indecipherable “Thank you!” Naturally, Atem's response was to flinch, but he relaxed a little when he realized the other wasn’t upset but was instead extremely grateful. “I-uh, you’re welcome. Though there’s no need to thank me, I would've helped him regardless.” the pharaoh responded earnestly. He meant it, the realization filled Yugi with a startling warmth and he smiled.

The next ten minutes were spent explaining how the two met and what ensued thereafter. Yugi decided to leave out the part about him falling into quicksand, opting not to share the harrowing moment with anyone else nor relive it himself, and Atem conveniently skipped over the part about him actually being the lost ancient pharaoh- or any pharaoh for that matter- that they’d been digging for. It would seem that he’d learned from Yugi’s reaction that it might be best to leave out details as unbelievable as that, lest he should accidentally kill the poor men. Best let them believe the little fib for now until they figure out what to say.

Suddenly, Yugi remembered something. “Ji-chan, Atem doesn’t have anywhere to stay currently…-!” His grandfather cut him off before he could finish. “Of course! Atem, would you like to stay with us? At least until we go back to Japan?” Sugoroku inquired, tilting his head at Atem. “Oh, of course! I would appreciate that, if you have room for me.” the pharaoh smiled gratefully.

Yugi discovered later on that Atem was an excellent actor when he needed to be. They’d been loading into a cab when the teen remembered that the other had never ridden in a car before. One would’ve thought the crimson-eyed man was used to being in cars with how calm and relaxed he seemed, but Yugi could feel his anxiety through their bond. He tried sending comfort back and was rewarded with a look of fond pride and gratitude.

Without realizing, he returned it, letting the comfort shift into subtle affection before realization throat-punched him and he turned away, blushing. The pharaoh laughed softly through the bond. ‘What is happening to me?’ Yugi thought tiredly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yugi is adorable. Tell me I'm wrong. Despite what I said in the note at the beginning (go back and read them if u want), I did have a little bit of fun with this chapter. I think Yugi's gay panic was my favorite part (probably bc I can relate, I'm panicking a little right now myself, not sure if I like this person as a friend or something more heh, not fun)
> 
> As always, feedback. I love your comments and I usually try to respond to all of them. If I don't, that doesn't mean I didn't see it (I read them all the time haha), just means that I'm too flustered to know the correct thing to say, even if all that's needed it a simple 'Thank you!'
> 
> Love yall~
> 
> Uno OUT!


	6. My Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again, I'm back! Yes, I know, "Uno! You just posted a week ago! You must really have a lot of free time on your hands to have worked this fast!"  
> "Why yes, yes I do! I've got (insert sarcastic voice) _absolutely nothing_ to do. So I felt like updating while I was still in the mode."
> 
> To be completely honest, I'm not so sure about this chapter. It feels to angsty, and I'm worried the ending is rushed and you won't be able to really feel it like I did, and that's _after_ I rewrote it a few times. Is what it is, I guess.
> 
> Also, would you believe me if I said this story is both my longest one yet, AND it doesn't have any kind of outline whatsoever? I'm literally just making it up as I go haha! Yeah, it's already twice as long as my longest work.
> 
> Ha! If I was worried about OOCness before, this chapter takes the cake. Yugi is so not acting like his usual cheerful self, and the way he just _immediately_ accepts being kissed- I MEAN ACCEPTS WHAT HAPPENS TO HIM is a little concerning. But at this point, I give up. 'Rona's gonna get me anyway.

The majority of the car ride was spent in silence, with Yugi huddled into a tired ball. He could feel that the pharaoh was worried, probably because he felt he’d done something wrong, which he hadn’t, not really. Yugi just… needed some space right now, and the suddenly _very_ cramped car offered none. How frustrating. It wasn't like he was overreacting (probably), he was just confused and things with Atem felt _way_ too familiar.

Why was Yugi feeling these weird emotions for Atem? _He didn’t know him!_ Could this just be some odd feeling of friendship that he was misinterpreting? That had to be it. But then why had he never felt this way towards any of his other friends? Maybe it was because Atem had saved his life, or perhaps it was the bond they shared. Their bond automatically drew them together, made them closer. They could feel each other’s emotions, of course, there was bound to be some weird form of friendship between them.

There were some emotions sometimes that just couldn’t be explained with words, or at all, so it made them hard to discern. But Atem could instantly _feel_ it, and even if he didn’t know what it was, he understood it. The ability to understand someone that well was very… personal, _intimate_ even.

“You’re very quiet back there, my boy. Something wrong?” Sugoroku spoke up from the passenger seat, turning his head around to view his grandson. ‘Well, considering that I got lost in the desert, almost died, had to eat a _friggin’_ lizard, and am now joined at the hip with a man I just met and may or may not have significant feelings for-!’ “I’m fine, Ji-chan. Just a little tired I guess.” Yugi responded, blinking sleepily.

“Ah, I figured. When we get back to the hotel, you can share my bed with me and give yours to Atem. Sound alright?” Yugi was fine with that. But before he could respond, Atem spoke up, his deep baritone sending little shivers up Yugi’s spine.

“Yugi does not have to give up his bed for me, I can sleep wherever.” Yugi’s grandfather laughed. “Please! It’s the least we could do for you. You saved my grandson’s life after all!” “It's alright Atem. The beds are quite spacious, we'll be able to fit in one bed." Yugi spoke up, giving the pharaoh a reassuring smile.

“Well, how about you and Atem share?” the professor compromised. Silence followed as everyone turned to stare at him, then Sugoroku replied, “That’s a fantastic idea! That way I won't disturb anyone when I wake up early to get breakfast!” Yugi felt his eyes widen in shock.

 _//What’s wrong with that, aibou? It’s not like we haven't slept near the other before, and you know I would never hurt you.//_ Yugi looked at Atem, who was watching him nervously. “I-.” “It’s settled then!” his grandfather cut him off. The teen wilted into the seat. How was this going to help with his weird feelings? Sleeping with Atem is what made it so much worse in the first place. But he didn’t want to make a big deal about it- although he kind of already was, he did still want to be friends with Atem and hated being the problem here.

He didn’t mean to, but he knew he was accidentally hurting Atem. He was just confused! He knew, though, that if he tried to explain all this to Atem, he would scare the pharaoh away, that if he relaxed he would say or do something that he would regret. Besides, how would he explain it if he himself didin't know what was happening! Before he met Jou and Honda and Anzu and Ryou, he’d been alone. He was ok with it, it was self-inflicted, actually. Who needs friends when they are so much work and cause so many problems.

But then one day, the puzzles and games that used to keep him company weren’t good enough. He needed something- some _one_ \- to put his time and effort into. A friend. And now that he had one like Atem, he didn’t ever want to let him go. He didn’t want to be… lonely. Empty.

He hadn’t realized how much he hated being alone until the prospect of it became reality, until he realized he’d be alone again, and it’d be his fault.  
 _//Aibou...//_ Atem’s uncertain, worried voice filled Yugi’s head. With the addition of the other’s concern, the teen realized he’d been projecting overwhelming waves of fear. _//Sorry.//_ Yugi responded, biting his tongue as they pulled into the hotel parking lot. He felt a hand slip gently over his clenched fist, startling him. When he looked into Atem’s worried crimson eyes, he knew… He knew that if he wanted to be Atem’s friend, he would have to get himself together and overcome whatever was happening to him.

 _//You didn’t do anything wrong, I’m just worried about you. There’s something bothering you, I know there is. You can tell me anything, I’m here if you need me. I want to help you, but I won’t force you to tell me anything.//_ Even though Atem wasn’t speaking aloud, Yugi swore he could feel the other’s voice making his insides vibrate. Banishing the thought the moment it entered his mind, he smiled lightly, grabbing his hand and giving it a comforting squeeze, trying to assure the pharaoh that he was fine. Because he _was_ fine.

Resolute determination filled him. He knew what he needed to do. And if he had to fake a smile or two, then that was ok. He knew how to do that thanks to his middle school days. _//I’m fine, Atem.//_ Yugi replied cheerily. The pharaoh’s gaze darkened. _//Fine is a nasty four-letter word that starts with ‘F’.//_ was his quiet response. Atem’s voice had gotten deeper, more serious, making Yugi tense. “Ok, just peachy then.” the teen mumbled, looking out the window. _//That’s not my point, aibou. My point is that you are clearly not fine, but you keep insisting that you are, that there’s nothing wrong. I’m worried about you.//_

The car pulled to a stop, Sugoroku and Hopkins getting out immediately while Yugi and Atem lingered for a moment. “Is it something I did?” Atem reached again for Yugi’s hand, the teen subtly moving it out of reach to scratch idly at his other arm. ‘I can see why I gave him that idea but-.’ “No. I... I think it would be easier if we talked about it when we get up to the hotel.” Yugi replied nervously. "Very well, as long as you talk to me. I want to help you." Yugi could hear the desperation in the other’s voice, could feel it through the bond. He felt guilty. Should he tell Atem the truth? His grandpa always told him that lying never helped anyone.

He, he trusted Atem.

Yugi nodded and climbed out of the car. Watching Atem get out as well, he thanked the professor and apologized once more for causing him and his crew so much trouble. Hopkins, being the easy-going guy that he was, completely forgave Yugi and wished them a safe flight back to Japan. The teen could feel nervousness welling up in his chest. He was really starting to second-guess himself and his decision to tell Atem the truth. What even was the truth anyway? He had no idea what love or attraction was, he had four friends and not a lot of experience.

Yugi felt helpless. And exhausted. And confused, too.

Once they got out of the elevator and into the room, his grandpa went into the bathroom to take a shower and wash up for the night. Yugi went straight for the balcony, Atem trailing behind. While outside, the teen took a moment to admire the starry sky, enjoying the view until it reminded him of last night under the stars.

“Yugi,” Atem began softly, but he cut him off. “You’re right. There… _is_ something bothering me, but I'm worried because it's new and I feel like I don't understand it at all." the teen began nervously. Atem tilted his head, showing that the other had his full attention. Yugi sighed, then turned to face the taller man. "I'm worried about this new bond. I'm terrified because it isn't normal and I don't know it's potential, what it can do, and-" Atem gently grabbed his shoulders, tilting his head slightly to give the other a soft, reassuring look. "I promise, Yugi, that I will help you make sense of whatever you feel and will teach you to properly use our bond. I know this is confusing, and you never asked for it, but it can be very beneficial for both of us." 

The pharaoh looked down, thinking, before looking back up into Yugi's eyes. He had a gentle, knowing smile on his face. "I would never suggest anything that makes you uncomfortable, little one, but I can explain your recent confusing thoughts and emotions if you'd like." Yugi blushed a little, but nodded. It was a relief, knowing that not only was Atem aware of his odd behavior, but also knew about and could explain it to him. They both took a seat on the still-warm concrete below them, getting comfortable.

"We may have met recently, but our bond is trying to, in a way, make up for lost time. Because we were born in largely different time periods, there is a large invisible wall between us. The bond is trying to fix that by influencing emotions and thoughts. It also happens that it was prophesied you were my other half, the person I was to, well," Atem trailed off, embarrassed. "The person you were to what?" Yugi asked, tilting his head at the pharaoh. "The person I was supposed to, uh, s-spend the rest of my life with, actually." he finished, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding Yugi's gaze.

"L-like, marriage?" Yugi asked, wide-eyed. The pharaoh nodded, still refusing to look in the other's direction. There was an awkward silence that followed, both shifting and tensing, unsure what to say. "W-well," Yugi started, his cheeks red, "how about we be, well, friends, for now." Atem turned to look at the smaller in surprise, then he chuckled. "Of course, aibou. Though I must admit, I thought we were already friends." Yugi grinned, nodding. "So did I." "Then, let's make it official." Atem turned and faced Yugi fully and said, "Let's be friends!"

Yugi laughed, then bowed his head and replied, "Ok, let's be friends!"

Because they'd gotten caught up in the mirthful ending of their talk on the balcony, neither had noticed Ji-chan open the door and poke his head outside, wondering what the boys were up to. His booming laugh startled both of them, sending them to their feet instantly. "J-Ji-chan! Don't scare us like that! We could have fallen off!" Atem snorted, a teasing smirk on his face. "I don't think you're tall enough to make it over the rails, Yug." His grandfather laughed harder at that, Yugi just huffed and grinned.

The night ended with Yugi clean and refreshed from a shower, snuggling up in bed in a nice clean pair of pajamas and falling asleep faster than ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, I spent these past few days watching The Voice with my family. I've only been wrong about who the judges choose to save ONCE, so I'm thinking we should start betting, might get some money or somethin!
> 
> It's not depression, but I've been feeling a little subdued lately. I think it's bc my body misses the sun, but idk.
> 
> I went on a 30 min bike ride yesterday and it hurts. Like, I legit want to die, can't even sit down kind of hurts. I was also drawing a dragon yesterday. I think it looks adorable, and surprisingly like a dragon considering that I've never drawn one.
> 
> Also, I don't think I was able to properly portray just how _warm_ the last part of this ch was, like when they were cuddling in bed and stuff. Send me your thoughts and please, point out any mistakes that my pet robots and I missed.
> 
> As always, have a nice day/night/whatever time zone you're in!
> 
> *Edit* I have come back and make drastic improvements to the and a few other chapters. You should go back and read through it to make sure everything makes sense.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you enjoy it?
> 
> Anyway, make sure to comment any criticism or compliments! (I'm fishin' for 'em) Thank you, and I don't have a set date for when the next chapter will be up, I still need to transcribe it and then run it through Grammarly.  
> Thanks y'all!


End file.
